The blog LIS News has an interesting post about Lisa Occipinti, an artist who uses books to create unique objects that are also functional items (and are available for sale on Etsy). She has a new book out showing her items, which is profiled in the New York Times. If you are interested in the intersection of books and art, you should definitely check it out!
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More on Books as Art
Saturday, April 30th, 2011Kodak Fellowship in Film Preservation
Sunday, April 3rd, 2011Are you interested in film preservation? If so, the Kodak Fellowship in Film Preservation is for you! Recipients of the fellowship receive a scholarship for next year, free registration for the Association of Moving Image Archivists’ conference and a four week paid internship in Los Angeles over the summer. Applications must be received by May 1st and recipients are announced in June or July. More information on the fellowship is available on the AMIA website or in the fellowship application.
Volunteer Conservation Internship Opportunity
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011The following internship posting is from the Mary Baker Eddy Library:
The Mary Baker Eddy Library Lending and Reference Services department is seeking a volunteer intern to work in our conservation lab. This position will provide basic conservation of circulating library materials, rare volumes and pamphlets. Beyond basic repairs, tasks may include making phase boxes and re-backing volumes. This is a great opportunity for a new GSLIS student interested in archival and/or conservation work to get some more hands-on experience.
The ideal candidate will have experience doing basic repairs in a library setting. Please submit a resume and brief statement of interest to Ann Kardos, Reference Librarian at kardosa@mbelibrary.org.
About the Organization:
The Mary Baker Eddy Library is a not-for-profit library/museum dedicated to providing common ground to explore:
- the power of ideas throughout history to inspire individuals and transform the world
- the ongoing search for life’s deeper meaning
- the ideas, life, and achievements of Mary Baker Eddy.
The Library was established in June 2000 by The Christian Science Board of Directors as a nondenominational, not-for-profit educational institution for the purpose of “furthering the universal quest for spirituality and the science of being – and their effect on health and human progress.”
Although the Library is a separate 501(c)(3) organization, the Church committed to funding a portion of the Library’s activities during the first five years of operations and continues to do so. It also donates administrative support from Church departments such as Accounting, Web, Information and Technology, and Site Services. The Library raises the rest of its operating budget from admission and shop revenues as well as donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other contributors.
New Art Events and Resources
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011There are some interesting new events and resources available for students interested in arts and visual resources librarianship.
First, tomorrow (provided it is not postponed due to the weather), Simmons will be screening Exit Through the Gift Shop, the film about the street artist Banksy, and will also be hosting a panel discussion with several local artists and others involved in the arts in and around Boston. More information is available on the Simmons Events website.
Then, on February 15, 2011 at 6:30 Simmons GSLIS will host a panel discussion with Boston area curators of contemporary art. The discussion will focus on the information seeking needs and behaviors specific to contemporary art. How do libraries support the process? What improvements could be made to support contemporary research? How can contemporary curators work with librarians to build excellent collections, particularly in tough economic times? The panel will involve several local curators and should provide an interesting insight into how libraries and librarians can support their work. In addition to GSLIS students interested in art librarianship, the event is also open to New England area art librarians and museum professionals.
In addition to these local events, there are two new noteworthy online resources of interest to those interested in art and visual resource libraries. First, Google has launched the Art Project. This new resource allows users to explore and experience art and museums from around the world including from the Tate Britain and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. Users can zoom in on individual pieces and navigate through whole rooms as well.
Additionally, as highlighted on ArLiSNAP’s blog, the blog Just An Art Librarian provides insight into the day-in-a-life activities of a museum librarian. If that is a field that interests you, its definitely worth checking out!
Free Webinar
Friday, January 28th, 2011On Tuesday, February 1, 2011 from 3pm to 4:30pm the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will be hosting a free webinar entitled Libraries and 21st Century Skills. More information on this free event is available on the IMLS website.
Meeting Summary
Friday, December 24th, 2010Panopticon member Randolph Pfaff attended the meeting of the ARLIS/NA New England chapter and provided us with a summary of the proceedings.
The meeting took place at the MFA library (in Horticultural Hall at 300 Mass Ave.) on December 3, 2010. The topics covered during the meeting included a review of the financial status of the New England chapter, an overview of last spring’s ARLIS national meeting held here in Boston and a request by the Chapter President for feedback from members regarding the ARLIS/NA strategic plan. The strategic plan outlines the direction and goals of the national organization for the next five years and the Strategic Planning Committee is currently seeking feedback from chapters and individual members. The meeting also included a brief overview of upcoming events, including a panel presentation by local contemporary art curators, which will take place at Simmons.
These points were followed by a discussion of news at the various institutions represented at the meeting. While many attendees mentioned new exhibitions or collections, the discussion was dominated by talk of collaboration among institutions and the sharing of resources. This is a discussion that will likely grow as time goes on and an increasing number of small institutions work together to prevent purchasing overlapping resources in a defined geographic area and to instead coordinate purchasing decisions between institutions.
Following the meeting, the group broke for lunch and attendees later reconvened at the MFA for a self-guided tour of the new Art of the Americas wing.
Advising Day
Friday, October 29th, 2010Advising Day for incoming students will be November 10th. Panopticon will have a table for new students interested in Art and Visual Resource Librarianship. And, anyone who is interested in eating lunch with incoming students to introduce them to Simmons GSLIS is welcome to volunteer to help out!
ARLIS/NA Award – Deadline November 19, 2010
Saturday, October 23rd, 2010This week I want to highlight an award offered by ARLIS/NA. The Gerd Muehsam Award is an annual award given for a paper or internet project on an art librarianship topic by a graduate student enrolled in an accredited graduate library science program or in a post-graduate library program in a field related to art, art history or a related field. To be eligible, the paper or internet project must have been prepared during the previous 18 months as an assignment for a course. Papers submitted for the award must be 10 to 25 pages in length. The deadline for submission is Friday, November 19, 2010.
More information on the requirements, process and prize are available on ARLIS/NA’s website: http://www.arlisna.org/about/awards/muehsam_info.html
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Friday, October 9th, 2009… – Pablo Picasso
So, given I’ve now received 3 emails in regards to this, probably a good idea to post. I apologize, of course, if you too, have seen this 3 times also. But if not, look! News!
It’s time. It’s time for us to make this Art Show a reality! We are looking for
art to display in the GSLIS tech lab for the rest of the semester (or however
long you’ll allow us to share your work!).
Betsy and Alli will be collecting art starting next week. So, you’ve all got a
little time to round your work up.
Alli will be in the GSLIS Tech Lab to collect art on Thursday October 15th from
4-7
Betsy will be in the GSLIS Tech Lab collecting art on Sunday October 18th from
4:40- 7:30
When you arrive with your work at the tech lab we will have you fill out an
Artists Agreement form. We will also ask that you leave with us your name, the
titles , mediums, and dates of your work. if you wish to add a paragraph of
description about your work please either e-mail it to us or bring it with you
on a thumb drive.
Also, when you bring your work be sure that whether it is in a frame or some
other various structure that there is a way to hang it on the wall. For
example, be sure the frame your photograph is in has a wire or bracket on the
back. You get the point. 
Those of you who declared interest in assisting with the Art Show, expect an
e-mail from Alli shortly!
Also, details about an Opening or Closing Party coming soon! If you have any
questions or concerns about the Art Show, please feel free to shoot us a comment here, or to contact Ally or Betsy directly.
So… let’s start creating?
Banned Books Week – what do you think?
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009Taking a break from the normal links and events to talk politics a moment. I know, I know. Libraries, art and politics? Together? Unfathomable, but. Bear with me here.
You might have heard that it’s Banned Book Week. Making my weekly visit to my local library, the YA/Teen room had a large display just for this week: on their “highlights” shelf, was yellow police tape, with warning labels on the book.
“This book contains magic” and “this book contains swearing” or “this book has underage sexual content” (not even sex, we’re talking kissing, holding hands.)
Want a list of books banned?
Harry Potter; Twilight; And Tango Makes Three; The Perks of Being a Wallflower; Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging…
… the list goes on.
Why? Because they dare to be different. With the exception of the Twilight series, I’ve read all those books listed, and nothing in them deserves to be banned, to be pulled from the shelves, to be told they can’t be read.
So, what do you think? There were two articles, the Wall Street Journal against, and Joan E. Bertrin of Huffington Post for.
But I want to know what you think? Given recent events such as Cushing Academy, of living in a world where we might not be able to read that one particular book because (good heavens!) it might have a boy kissing a boy, where does that leave us? As future librarians?
Are we living a world where one day our job will be to catalog the Banned Book Week’s art posters as relics?
What is your opinion? Which side are you on?
//steps off her soapbox.
(Regular scheduled program will return next week. Meantime, have video.